"In this must-read book, Robert Fried shows us that playing the game of school day after day is an intolerable waste of time and while we are told it will lead to a decent paying job, it actually stupefies us for life’s challenges—including being a decent citizen. He shows why we simply cannot keep doing this to our intellectually feisty youngsters, or to their teachers. Fried has it right in theory and detail, and he shows us, in his lively, poignant, often funny stories form the field, how teachers, parents, and, yes, kids, too, can begin to change this dreadful and unnecessary game."
--Deborah Meier, founding principal and director, New Ventures, Mission Hill School "This critically important book plumbs the depths of productive vs. unproductive learning and finds a seemingly normal, yet insidious, ‘game’ at its core. Our schools' failure to engage young minds is explained through vivid portraits of teachers who buck the trend Fried is not a nihilist who sees only the dark side. Far from it. He has the courage to describe the Game of School such that readers can accept the metaphor as a tool without which educational reform will continue to be ineffectual."
--Seymour B. Sarason, professor of psychology emeritus, Yale University and, author of And What Do You Mean by Learning?
Students play it, teachers perpetuate it, parents condone it, principals endorse it, and governments legislate it. The "game of school" is that familiar scenario where students' natural curiosity and desire to learn are replaced with a frantic rush (or a compliant shrug) to do the work, please the teacher, and get the grades. This game is easy to master, but exerts a high price. Can we afford to pay the price in wasted time and idle minds? In this compelling book, Robert L. Fried shows how we can change the rules of the game, reclaim and refocus the learning experience, and ultimately bring joy back into the classroom. The Game of School is filled with interviews and stories of teachers and students who are struggling to put the game of school behind them and engage in authentic learning. We experience the excitement of the first day of first grade; listen to urban teens discuss Shakespeare's Othello; and meet a college student who is beginning to question her long disengagement with learning. We are introduced to seven types of learners—from "go-getters" to "pluggers" to "rebels"—and find out how the game shapes their relationship to schooling and life.
The Game of School offers workable solutions that take into account the reality of a culture consumed with testing, accountability, and the race for college. Fried redefines our common ideas of discipline, curriculum, instruction, grading, motivation, and family involvement in ways that enhance true learning and diminish the game's stranglehold on our curiosity and will. He argues that classrooms are more easily "managed" in a climate of mutual respect, and students are eager for "instruction" when it is challenging and engaging. His "Joy and Misery Index" serves to remind teachers of what really matters most in the classroom.
Thoughtful and inspiring, The Game of School offers suggestions and ideas for teachers, parents, and students who want to free themselves from the ever-tightening grip of a game in which even winners end up losing.
From the Back Cover
Why Play the High Stakes GAME OF SCHOOL? "In this must-read book, Robert Fried shows us that playing the game of school day after day is an intolerable waste of time, and while we are told it will lead to a decent paying job, it actually stupefies us for life's challenges—including being a decent citizen. He shows why we simply cannot keep doing this to our intellectually feisty youngsters, or to their teachers. Fried has it right in theory and detail, and he shows us, in his lively, poignant, often funny stories from the field, how teachers, parents, and, yes, kids, too, can begin to change this dreadful and unnecessary game."
—Deborah Meier, founding principal and director, New Ventures, Mission Hill School
"This critically important book plumbs the depths of productive vs. unproductive learning and finds a seemingly normal, yet insidious, 'game' at its core. Our schools' failure to engage young minds is explained through vivid portraits of teachers who buck the trend. Fried is not a nihilist who sees only the dark side. Far from it. He has the courage to describe the Game of School such that readers can accept the metaphor as a tool without which educational reform will continue to be ineffectual."
—Seymour B. Sarason, professor of psychology emeritus, Yale University and author of And What Do You Mean by Learning?
About the Author
Robert L. Fried is the author of the highly successful book The Passionate Teacher (Beacon Press, 1995) and its follow-up volume, The Passionate Learner (Beacon Press, 2001). He has been an English teacher, school principal and board member. In addition, he consults with schools and speaks to teachers all over the country. He currently is an associate professor of education at Northeastern University and lives in Concord, NH.
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